Finding “home” has never been easy for Portland’s African American community. From pre-statehood exclusion laws to the patterns of displacement we have seen play out since Vanport, the mere idea of Black settlement engendered hostility towards those who dared to put down roots in Stumptown since the territorial era. In this theme we will explore this struggle through interviews, film, photographs & the ephemera left by those who fought to ensure that there was & always will be a Black Portland. 

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